Chapter 181: Chapter 181 : Next Journey
Finally, Alex Ray's attention was drawn to an inconspicuous corner.
In that shadowed recess of Odin's treasury, a sword lay quietly, covered in dust.
The contrast was striking. Surrounded by the radiant brilliance of enchanted weapons and divine relics, this lone sword seemed utterly forgotten.
Alex Ray's brow furrowed slightly in confusion.
This was Odin's vault—a place said to house countless powerful and precious treasures. Each artifact was supposedly protected with powerful enchantments, yet this sword appeared to have been left to decay over time, its presence neglected entirely.
Curiosity stirred, Alex stepped closer and reached out.
The blade was cold and heavy to the touch, exuding an ancient and mysterious presence.
He lifted it carefully, brushing away the layers of dust with a slow, deliberate motion.
As the grime faded, the sword's true form gradually revealed itself.
It no longer shimmered with power—it looked plain, almost mundane. But Alex could still feel the warmth of solar energy faintly radiating from the hilt. Intricate runes and patterns etched into its surface hinted at its forgotten grandeur.
The sword wasn't ordinary. Alex could sense the lingering strength deep within it, buried but not extinguished.
He examined it more closely, hunting for clues to its forgotten legacy.
On its surface, worn inscriptions remained—faint, nearly erased, but decipherable with effort.
After a moment of intense concentration, Alex decoded the ancient language.
This weapon was once known as the Sword of Victory—not to be confused with the Sword of Covenant and Victory wielded by King Arthur.
This blade belonged to Frey, the Norse god of fertility and prosperity.
It was said that the Sword of Victory could fly on its own and decapitate enemies. Once bound to a wielder's will, it would tear across battlefields autonomously, fulfilling its purpose: to secure absolute victory for its master.
In essence, it resembled the mythic flying blade of the ancient Taoist figure Lu Ya—but fused with Asgardian divinity.
Originally gifted to Frey by Odin upon joining the Aesir, the sword was later bartered away—for love. Frey gave it to another man in exchange for a woman.
That betrayal sealed its fate.
Stripped of divine favor, the Sword of Victory became dormant, powerless, relegated to obscurity in the treasury.
Alex let out a faint, bitter laugh.
"No thoughts of women—only of war. That's when a sword remains divine," he murmured, shaking his head. "Such a waste… To fall from glory because of a woman."
If restored, this weapon could grant him near-unmatched might. The ability to command an autonomous killing blade on the battlefield was beyond valuable.
Of course, Alex understood this was all theoretical. In the Marvel universe, beings like Death, Eternity, and the Living Tribunal rendered the idea of "invincibility" almost laughable.
Still, as he sighed at the sword's tragic history, something unexpected happened.
The blade responded.
Not in words—but in emotion. He felt it—unwillingness, longing, a flicker of pride buried beneath centuries of dormancy.
It was searching. Hoping.
Alex raised the sword and spoke gently, "Sword of Victory... I don't know if you can hear me. But I'm nothing like your former master."
"I value triumph over temptation."
"If you still have the will, then trust me. I'll carry you through the stars."
At his words, the Sword of Victory blazed with radiant light.
It flared to life—an explosion of brilliance that pierced through the vault and echoed across the palace.
Alex instinctively gripped it tighter as the surge of energy pulsed through him.
The once-silent blade now roared with purpose.
Its ancient power stirred again, awakened by a new master's conviction.
He felt it—a bond forming, deep and immediate. As if sword and wielder were becoming one.
Across the palace, Odin and the Ancient One both felt the tremor.
They exchanged glances, sensing the wave of power.
"That resonance…" the Ancient One said, her voice touched with amusement. "It seems you're about to lose a very old artifact, All-Father."
Odin exhaled and smiled bitterly. "So it would seem."
They both understood the significance.
That sword had lingered untouched for ages, refusing all previous suitors. It had now chosen.
Odin nodded thoughtfully. "It's his ability that awakened it. The blade finally found its bearer."
"Your judgment of him was accurate, Ancient One."
Though he had initially viewed Alex Ray as merely an outsider, perhaps even a reckless mortal with too many ambitions, Odin was beginning to see something else.
A peer.
He knew the nature of the Sword of Victory—its strength directly tied to its wielder.
In Alex's hands, it pulsed with a reborn spirit.
Odin's expression darkened slightly, worry creeping into his regal features.
His original plan was to have his son Thor recruit Alex as an ally.
But with power accumulating so rapidly, Alex Ray could very well rise to a level beyond even Odin or the Ancient One.
He might not become Thor's ally—he might become Thor's king.
Back in the vault, Alex tightened his grip on the sword, feeling his body react.
His overall strength surged. A quantifiable 20% boost struck his muscles and mind all at once.
He could feel the edge of the divine—just within reach. With time and effort, godhood was no longer an abstract goal.
He sheathed the sword carefully, then opened a portal to Odin's throne room.
After offering formal thanks to the All-Father, Alex returned through a second portal to his territory.
Back in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen, the cityscape greeted him like an old friend.
The chaos and divine drama of Asgard felt distant.
He stretched lazily, his mind turning toward his next meeting.
"Tomorrow, I meet Spider-Man from another universe," he muttered.
Specifically, the version portrayed by Andrew Garfield. There was something about that Spider-Man—an ominous sense of tragedy that lingered in Alex's mind.
He wasn't yet sure what sort of enemies this parallel Peter Parker had encountered—or might encounter next.
But he did know one thing.
He wouldn't let that same tragedy repeat.
"No one's letting Gwen fall again. Not this time," Alex whispered to himself, resolve sharpening in his eyes.
Meanwhile, somewhere across the Spider-Verse…
A blonde woman in a sleek black-and-white suit stood on the edge of a rooftop, scanning the skyline.
"Wow… Another parallel universe," Gwen Stacy breathed, adjusting her mask slightly. "I wonder… Is Peter still alive in this one?"
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As the plot unfolds, it dives deep into the Spider-Verse, Avengers War and the Marvel Multiverse, weaving in epic elements from Endgame, God of Stories Loki, Kang the Conqueror, the Council of Kangs, the Council of Reeds, and even Franklin Richards.
Expect mind-bending twists with Deadpool breaking the fourth wall, going on a rampage that includes killing everyone... even the authors themselves.
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